03/17/2013

I think, no, I know that out of the four skating disiplines Men's, Women's, Pairs and Ice Dance, my favourite to photograph would have to be.......

Ice Dance!

It's strange, I never knew until this part week. But after a steady dose of figure skating, practices, short program and free skate, I can honestly say, Ice Dancing was my favourite to shoot.

I found a lot of the skating a little repetitious, especially the Men's and Women's programs. Outside of where on the ice the elements like jumps and spins occur, they all kind of look the same. Photographers love athletes that being a little variation to table.

While ice dance might lack those face distorting triples and quads and the insanely high launches of ladies into the rafters of arena, Ice dance does offer something that photographers crave.

Variety!

Like the other disiplines, there is a number of required elements, but it seems that most teams are able to put their own spin on many of the lifts. What the event lacks in explosive action it makes up for it in inventive ways to hoist a person into the air or glide across the ice.

I'm still not exactly 100 percent sure what a twizzle is, but I do know that I like shooting ice dance!

Spain's Sara Hurtado and Adria Diaz glide across the ice in a matrix like lift during the Ice Dance Free Skate program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at Budweiser Gardens in London.

Isabella Tobias and Davidas Stagiunas of Lithuania.

Sara Hurtado and Adrria Diaz of Spain spin.

This pair might be the reason why I like shooting Ice dance so much. Germany Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi perform a Zombie inspired program.

German's Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi glide across the ice in one of five lifts.

Alexander Gazsi shows one of the other reasons shooting ice dance is fun as he chases Nelli Zhiganshina across the ice, both partners in ice dance are very good at facial expressions throughout their routine.

I could never do anything like this. This is way too risky for me. I fear for some of these people's lives as skates are being put over and very near their heads. One wrong move and they could be gone.